Veggie Quinoa Bake

I love this recipe. Plain and simple. There’s just so much goodness, and it is absolutely satisfying for both the stomach, and your daily needs!

As most of you will know by now, I love my vegetables. I was trained well from a very young age to always eat them, and it’s something that has definitely stuck with me, even since moving out of my Mum’s house! Be proud of me if you’re reading this, Mum 😉 Vegetables should be a staple in everyone’s diet, and it’s pretty much what I base all my savoury meals around. In fact, one of the first questions I ask myself when I’m looking for something to create.. “What veggies do we have?”. And I go from there!

This recipe is a fibre-filled, nutrient powerhouse, covering everything from Vitamins A, C and K, to manganese (aids in bone metabolism/structure, regular metabolism, thyroid function,etc), to potassium (the “health insurer” nutrient), to phosphorus (bon formation, cell repair, digestion), to iron, zinc, calcium.. You name it, I’m pretty sure it has it and your body will be well and truly nourished by the variety of foods in this dish. Man.. I’m making myself hungry just thinking about it! So let’s get onto the recipe, shall we?

For the topping: Tomato slices, more dukkah, and nutritional yeast. Feel free to also add your favourite cheese, mine being MyLifeBio!

Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan forced), and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Roast your vegetables until they’re soft and lightly browned.. Should be about 30ish minutes! When the vegetables are almost done, cook your quinoa according to packet directions, adding the herbs, spices and pepper into the water. Drain, and set asides until the vegetables are cooked.

Once the vegetables are done, combine them with the quinoa, tomato paste and dukkah. Stir quite hard, as you want a fair portion of the pumpkin to mash into the mixture. This helps to hold the mixture together. Scoop the mix into a baking dish, pressing down and smoothing the top. Top with slices of tomato, nutritional yeast, extra pepper (if you wish), dukkah, and cheese. Put the dish in the oven (same temperature) and bake until the top and sides have browned. You may even wish to turn the grill on lightly for a few minutes at the end. Take the tray out of the oven, and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving!

This dish has enough flavour as it is, but I always enjoy serving it with a fresh salad of greens, cucumber, tomato and avocado, but it’s really up to you! You can even serve with some roast or jacket potatoes for an extra veggie/carb hit! Yummm.